 "Gus Atkinson")
“If you asked me six months ago, I would have said my goal is to just play cricket for England. And now, I probably go, 'I would like to play for England in the next year'," said Gus Atkinson speaking to ESPNCricinfo a few weeks ahead of the World Cup squad announcement. The manifestation is now a reality as he played for the English side in a T20 international match against New Zealand on 1 September 2023.
Angus Alexander Patrick Atkinson sounds too long a name to strike a chord with anyone, and perhaps that’s why he is called just Gus, short for his first name Angus. Atkinson landed his dream maiden call-up to international cricket after being named in England’s provisional squad for the Men’s ODI World Cup 2023. He was named in the main squad announced on Sunday, September 17, 2023 as well.
He is being touted as the perfect replacement for Jofra Archer—the injured hero of the 2019 World Cup.
"Your dad, brother and sister are here today and your mum will be looking down - very proud of you and what you've achieved."
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 4, 2023
A moment Gus Atkinson will never forget... #EnglandCricket | @CurranSM pic.twitter.com/TNcgVmAiua
Stats prove Gus is a wicket-taker much like Archer
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Atkinson, 25, has played only 14 First Class games since making his debut in 2020 for Surrey in the County Championships. But he has taken 45 wickets at an average of 26.45. More importantly, his strike rate of 45 is similar to that of Archer's 48. The latter has taken 181 wickets in 43 red-ball games, with an average of 24.9.
In the shorter formats too, Atkinson has the same ability to take quick wickets and be the game-changer when asked to bowl. In The Hundred, Atkinson took his first nine wickets in only 74 balls for the Oval Invincibles, and at that stage was third on the list of most wickets behind Tymal Mills (11) and Reece Topley (10), both of whom had bowled 26 and 16 more balls than him, respectively. Eventually, though, he could only add one more wicket to his list after bowling 40 more balls, and his statistics changed.
Also Read: CWC 2023: Harry Brook replaces injured Jason Roy in England's final Squad
Also Read: CWC 2023: Harry Brook replaces injured Jason Roy in England's final Squad
Best debut for England in T20 internationals
However, he more than made up for it with a riveting T20 international debut for England. Playing in the second match of the four-match series, Atkinson picked up 4/20, which is the best performance on a T20 international debut by an English bowler. He bettered Jon Lewis's 4/24 achieved against Australia in 2005.
England selectors impressed with Gus' gusto
Saying that it was absolutely fair to select Atkinson given that both Archer and Ollie Stone—two express pace bowlers—were unavailable for selection, England's chief selector justified the young pacer’s inclusion in the ODI World Cup squad despite his having played only two List-A games.
"I'm sure everyone’s been watching him; he's hugely exciting and has been outstanding, not just in the Hundred but also how he’s gone in the Blast," Luke Wright said about Atkinson’s World Cup selection.
Another cap for Gus Atkinson
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 8, 2023
And good to see a familiar face in the huddle, @StuartBroad8 #EnglandCricket | #ENGvNZ pic.twitter.com/375i7by1Rr
"He roughed me up on a few occasions when I was still playing and marked my card. He's a real asset for us, and we're delighted to give him an opportunity," added the former England international.
Before making his World Cup debut, Archer had also played only three official ODIs. With Atkinson in the squad for the four-match ODI series against New Zealand and most likely to feature in the three-match ODI series against Ireland, he would also be less than 10 matches old before making his World Cup debut.
Gus has got gas in the tank: Can clock 90 miles per hour at will
Like Archer, Atkinson can bowl quickly without appearing dangerous in his run-up. Those who have watched the Surrey bowler in action would agree that he also possesses a deadly bouncer and can make the ball talk even after pitching at the three-quarters length.
In the ongoing Hundred, he bowled at 95 miles per hour (153 kilometres per hour) in a game against Welsh Fire. He even bounced English white ball captain Jos Buttler and roughed him up a few times, prompting the Manchester Originals skipper to enquire about the new kid on the block from Invincibles bowling coach Azhar Mahmood.
Speaking about how he hits the length hard and can swing the ball, former England skipper Sir Alastair Cook, who was also Atkinson’s maiden First-Class wicket, said, “I was impressed. He can hit a very good, hard natural length.”
Cook said that Atkinson reminded him a bit of Mark Wood, another of England's speed merchants. “It doesn't look like it takes too much effort for him to bowl quickly, so you would say there is probably a bit more in the tank. He also has raw skills to be able to move the ball—a bit like when I first saw Mark Wood."
Can handle the willow, but Atkinson is also injury-prone like Archer
Much like Archer, the tall Surrey bowler is also prone to injury. Atkinson's early progress was hampered by injury. Having seen his Surrey academy mates Ollie Pope and Sam Curran make all-format England debuts, Atkinson was doubting his career progress. But the player did not have much on his hands as stress fractures in 2017, 2018, and 2019 kept him away from the game.
Even when he would be fit, he would bowl with shortened run-ups and muted enthusiasm in fear of getting injured. "I watched a video of myself bowling in 2020 or 2021 and I couldn't believe it. I was like, ‘Oh my God, is that me?’
I was running very slowly; it almost looked like I wasn't trying. And that wasn't the case, but I think I was holding myself back because of maybe a fear of injury or a fear of not performing,” Gus told ESPNCricinfo.
Surrey second XI coach Vikram Solanki’s advice to bowl as quickly as possible changed Atkinson’s approach towards his bowling in early 2020.
Much like other England express pacers—Archer and Wood—Atkinson is no mug with the bat either. Even after batting at nine and 10 mostly, the right-handed batter has an average of 28 in First-Class cricket with a best score of 91. He has to his name three fifties as well. It is rare for a fast bowler to be that good with the bat.
"The other key thing is that he can bat. In this Surrey side, you see him wandering in at nine or 10, and he looks in no trouble whatsoever and plays some gorgeous shots. By the back end of his career, he could end up batting as high as six or seven. He's that good," BBC's cricket commentator Mark Church said about Atkinson's batting.
Improvement after a personal disaster: Atkinson has been a fighter
Atkinson’s career was nourished by his mother Caroline, who would keep mailing Surrey to know about the progress of her child, who she felt was sure to make it big. But soon after seeing him make his First-Class debut in 2020, Atkinson’s mother passed away in a tragic car accident.
"It was difficult. We've just sort of, just carried on our lives really, there's not too much you can do apart from that. I went into training three, four days after because I needed to get out of the house. I just needed to get away and escape,” Gus said about his situation at the time of his mother’s untimely death.
Since that incident, Atkinson has improved himself by leaps and bounds, making his T20 debut in the Vitality Blast, playing for franchise teams like Islamabad United (Pakistan Super League) and Desert Vipers (UAE’s ILT20). Even in the 2022 county season, the pacer picked up 20 wickets in just five games, which was way better than his 22 wickets in nine games performance of the 2020 season. Getting an England call-up and then becoming the best debutant bowler is probably the icing on the cake so far.
